January 11, 2017

Austin’s Atticus Records Announces 2017 Releases

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Atticus

Austin-based Atticus Records has a full slate of music releases planned for 2017, including new albums from Stephen Doster, Rick Busby, Devin Jake and Caro. Atticus will also release limited edition, 180-gram audiophile vinyl albums of Doster’s Arizona and Busby’s Strawberry Moon in February 2017 prior to the release of their new records.

Released late in 2014, Stephen Doster’s Arizona wasted no time in getting the attention of music journalists, landing in the top spot of Best of 2014 listings for music journalists Jim Caligiuri and Peter Blackstock. Caligiuri, long-time music writer for the Austin Chronicle hailed Arizona as a 4-Star “masterpiece” lauding Doster for managing “one charmed melody after another” engaging listeners in a “bewitching and rare” manner.

Over at the American-Statesman, Peter Blackstock likewise praised Arizona noting its “brilliant, sophisticated pop song craft.” In placing it at the top of his “Best of 2014” list, Blackstock hailed Arizona as an “exquisitely crafted classic” and “one of the best records our city has produced” in 2014.

Doster is currently recording his new album, New Black Suit, with many of the same musicians that crafted Arizona, including the core band of Dony Wynn on drums, George Reiff on bass and Kevin Lovejoy on keys, among others. Doster who is also an in demand producer, brings the songs, vocals and guitars, as well as manning the producer’s chair. New Black Suit, like Arizona, is being recorded at EAR Studio by Moonlight Towers frontman, James Stevens.

Doster is also simultaneously producing Rick Busby’s new album, The Soul of Everything, at EAR Studio with the same crew. The Soul of Everything will be Busby’s first for Atticus Records after two independent records on his own label, Private Angel, and features nine originals, three of which were co-written, and one cover song, “Connected,” written by fellow Austin songwriter, Steve Callif. Busby’s co-writers on the album include Doster on “Telling Time,” Will T. Massey on “I Fall In Love Again,” and his brother, Ray Busby on “Someone Like You.” Atticus will also be giving Busby’s Strawberry Moon the vinyl treatment with a limited edition, 180-gram audiophile vinyl release to celebrate its 5-year anniversary. Strawberry Moon, which was also produced by Doster, featured a cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Carefree Highway,” which garnered a nomination at the 2013 Academy of Texas Music Awards.

Before releasing Doster and Busby’s new albums, Atticus will first help with the release of award-winning country-bluegrass artist Devin Jake’s Days Into Years. The all acoustic affair follows Jake’s award-winning, self released debut album, Jesus & Mama,and features nine new Jake originals and one cover, co-written by Brennen Leigh and John Scott Sherrill. Stephen Doster produced both Days Into Years and Jesus & Mama and was instrumental in bringing Devin to the attention of Atticus Records. The Days Into Years CD will be available in February.

The final release announced by Atticus for the first half of 2017 is pop songstress Caro’s debut album, which is in the final stages of recording at EAR Studio with Doster at the helm. There is no official release date for Caro’s record, but is expected by mid-2017.